Combo Card Will Be Tested in 40 Cities: Bank Indonesia

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The combo card that promotes non-cash social assistance will be tested in 40 cities until the end of 2016, Bank Indonesia (BI) has stated.

If the trial goes off well, on January 1, 2017, the entire social assistance from the government can be channeled through the Family Welfare Card (KKS) Red and White combo device, Director of Elektronifikasi Program and Financial Inclusion of Bank Indonesia Pungky Purnomo Wibowo said Friday (September 2) night.

"January 1, 2017, we apply all of the Family Hope Programs and the rice prosperous social assistance (Rastra). Further, the student aid program and the School Operational Assistance (BOS) will be around that time as well," he said.

The combo card can be used to avail the Rastra, and family expectations (PKH) aid, Pungky explained in the demonstration project or the pilot project.

The combo card used in the "e-waroeng" (electronic shop and gotong royong/mutual help) are also agents of Financial Services Digital (LKD).

The beneficiaries of social grants (bansos) bring the Cards Family Welfare (KKS) issued by the Bank to the new joint four, namely Bank Mandiri, Bank Rakyat Indonesia, Bank Negara, and Bank Tabungan Negara, and exchange it at "e-waroeng".

With the KKS, the public can receive Rastra basic foodstuffs such as rice, sugar, flour, and oil at subsidized prices.

Furthermore, the combo cards can not only be used to get help in the LKD functions, but can also be used for transactions such as cash withdrawals or transfers, as well as saving money, such as bank function nirkantor (branchless banking), Pungky said.

This combo card can make the distribution of social aid meet the rules of 6T - the right target, the right amount, the right price, right time, right quality, and right administration, Deputy Governor of BI Ronald Waas said on the occasion.

The government budget for social protection in 2017 reached Rp158 trillion, the BI recorded. With that budget, social protection assistance would be effective and appropriate. (WDY)